Holly listened to the creaking of the garage door behind her as she unlocked the door to the mudroom and stepped into the house. She shucked off her boots and her heavy winter jacket, tossed her socks into the hamper next to the dryer and moved toward the center of the home she shared with Gail.
It was dark still, and cool, as if the heat hadn't quite kicked in yet. With bare feet, Holly went to the hall and overrode the thermostat. It had gotten unseasonably yesterday as the afternoon bled into evening, and they'd forgotten to change the settings so that the heat'd kick in before they got home and warm the house up for them.
"Gail," she called out, wondering briefly why her partner hadn't thought to turn the heat on. She was home, that much Holly already knew. Her car was parked in the garage, and looked like it'd been there for a couple of hours already.
In the silence that followed, she moved quickly upstairs. "Gail," Holly called out again, and heard a muffled sound from their bedroom.
"Hey, Gail, what's wrong," she said as she entered the dark, cold room, feeling the first blast of heat brush against her ankles as she walked past the vent toward the bed.
Gail was curled up into a little ball, buried under their duvet. She mumbled something from within her little nest, but Holly couldn't make out the words. But the doctor had already spied the cord of the electric heating pad peeking out from under the sheets, and a hand against her partner's cool, dry forehead confirmed that there was no fever.
"Ugh," she said as she began to strip out of her own clothes, throwing them into the nearly overflowing hamper near the door to their bathroom, "bad cramps?"
Holly could see Gail nodding.
"Terrible," Gail said, pulling the blanket down just enough to be heard, "I puked twice on patrol and had Oliver drive me back to the station so I could clock-out and come home."
"I'm sorry, hon," Holly said from the bathroom, "but at least it was Oliver and not one of the boys. You should have called me. I would have taken you home and tucked you in."
The shower started and Gail dozed lightly as the room warmed up and the scent of Holly's peppermint and rosemary bodywash wafted into the room. She could hear Holly singing to herself over the sound of running water, and then the sound of Holly drying off and slipping into some clothes. And then before she knew it, a warm and slightly damp woman sat gently onto the bed next to her.
"Did you take anything," Holly asked softly, already knowing the answer. Gail hated pain killers with a passion. They made her feel out of control, fuzzy, and slow. She'd never liked taking them, per se, but ever since Perik and the combination of drugs he had her on, she'd avoided them whenever she could.
Gail shook her head no, and Holly could see the trail of dried tears on her partner's cheeks. The woman didn't get cramps like this often–only four or five times in the three years they'd been together–but when it happened, it was devastating for the police officer, kept her curled up in their bed for a couple of days.
Holly was quiet for a moment, just watching Gail's face as she slipped her hand under the blankets and stroked gently along the blonde's spine.
"Okay, how about this," she asked, "we'll try a few of the usual techniques. And if nothing helps, then you'll take some of the Ponstel the doctor prescribed last time we were there." She could see Gail considering for a moment before she gave a small nod.
"Alright," Holly said and rose, bending to leave a kiss on Gail's forehead, "let me just get some things together. I'll be back in a few minutes."
It took about ten minutes to gather everything she needed, and then another ten to set it up, but now the room was nice and warm and lit by flickering candles. Gail'd been gently coaxed out of the fetal position she'd been in, and was laying stomach down atop a large towel on the bed, the heating pad positioned just under her lower abdomen and set to a gentle, warming temperature. The blankets and sheets have been kicked to the side, and Holly's tied her damp hair up and out of the way. Their favorite album was set to play on repeat in the background, the low tones and steady beat perfect for the mood that Holly wanted to set.
She was in a pair of old yoga pants and a soft long-sleeved t-shirt that was too big for her, the bottom brushing against her thighs and the sleeves pushed up and past her elbows.
"Hey," she said and placed a soft kiss at the nape of Gail's neck, "I love you."
Holly slowly moved to straddle Gail's thighs, holding herself in a kneel just over her partner's body, not wanting to put any pressure on Gail before the blonde was ready.
She began by caressing the strong lines of Gail's back, letting her hand brush gently but firmly along the Gail's spine, over the path of every rib, around the shape of Gail's shoulders and arms and neck. She was careful not to move too fast. This was about relaxing Gail, putting the other woman at ease, helping her feel better and in control of her body again.
When the blonde moaned as Holly massaged her shoulders, she knew the other woman was ready for more.
"Okay, babe," Holly said softly and slowly, "let's take your shirt off. And I'm going to pull down your sweats, just a little bit." She reached over to the side, where she'd left the supplies for the next phase. The mixture of rose and lavender, sage and almond oil was warm, but not as hot as it had been when she'd taken it out of the microwave.
"I'm going to use some oil now, Gail," the brunette leaned over and whispered into Gail's ear.
"Ohhhhh," Gail moaned again at the feel of the warm oil being dripped onto her back, running along her spine, spilling and pooling into the tiny Venus dimples there, just at the top of her pelvis.
Holly smiled and dripped a little bit of oil onto her hands, rubbing them together, before putting the bottle down and shifting just the slightest, to get into a better position. She slowly began working the oil into Gail's skin, kneading at the tense muscles of her lover's shoulder, her back, talking about nothing the whole time. Just walking Gail through her thoughts about the book she'd just finished reading, the tv show they'd watched the night before. She could feel the combination of oil and touch and soothing talk do it's work, could feel the stress and the fight slowly leave Gail's body.
"There we go," Holly said, using a towel to wipe up a stray drop of oil. "Now that your muscles aren't so tight, I'm going to massage your sacral points. It should help relax the muscles that are cramping and hopefully ease the pain a bit." She knew she didn't have to explain things, she knew that Gail trusted her, and that the blonde remembered what she was doing from the other times, but it was part of the ritual. Part of the setting Gail at ease and helping her relax. She talked each step out so she could get Gail's permission to continue, to keep going.
She saw the blonde head nod and felt Gail life her hips just the slightest, just enough that Holly could scoot back and pull the warm sweatpants off, and the pair of panties underneath.
Now Gail was naked, and Holly quickly stripped out of her own clothing, throwing the shirt and soft pants to the side.
It wasn't sexual, her nudity. It was about being on the same level as her partner. About being open and honest. About meeting vulnerability with vulnerability.
It was about letting Gail know that she was safe.
Holly took her spot straddling the blonde's legs again, and slowly poured out a little more of the oil onto Gail's pelvis. She tenderly, lovingly, massaged the oil into her partner's skin with wide, firm circles, until all of Gail's lower back–the hollow of her spine, the adorable dimples, her strong and firm ass–glistened with the heady, scented oil.
"Remember, if it hurts, just say the word, okay?" Holly reminded her partner, "you remember the word, right?"
Gail nodded again, and, after gently reaching up to touch Gail's shoulder, the signal that she was about to start, Holly began to apply pressure to the blonde's sacrum. Just as she'd learned in the alternative medicine rotation she'd done during medical school. She pressed the heel of her hand into Gail's flesh, and laid the other over for support, counting off seconds in her head.
Two minutes, and then she switched hands and moved to the spot on the opposite side of Gail's spine. She repeated the process twice more, just a little lower, checking in with Gail before beginning the last two to make sure she was doing okay. And then, with Gail, nearly boneless and floating somewhere between awake and asleep, Holly wiped her hands on the towel.
"Any better," she asked, gently wiping the excess oil from Gail's ass.
The slow and low "hmmmmmm" she got in response was a clear indication that the answer was "yes."
"I'm going to do your legs now," Holly said, scooting back to kneel at the edge of the bed, right at Gail's feet, and swallowing the chuckle that threatened to escape at her partner's dreamy, whispy, "Okay" from the head of the bed.
Slowly she began working at the muscles of Gail's legs, starting with her glutes and meticulously working her way down. When a bead of moisture at her lover's hip caught her eye, Holly leaned forward, and with a deliberate rasp of her tongue, licked it away, the mix of salt and oil a delight on her tastebuds.
She dug her strong fingers into the hard muscles of Gail's thighs, as tender as she was firm, the sounds of pleasure coming from the blonde encouraging her as she worked the tension and the exhaustion out of her lover's legs. She paid special attention to the lower shins, kneading the muscles there just a bit longer before moving lower, to Gail's strong but delicate ankles.
And then, Holly began to massage at her feet, digging her thumbs into Gail's upper arches, engaging the pressure points there. She was rewarded with a loud gasp and a shaky "Fuck" from Gail. And when she was done, she laid a light kiss over each heel.
The candles were burning low, and the whole room smelled of the oils that she'd bathed Gail's skin in. The album played softly in the background still, and the only other sound was Gail's heavy, ragged breathing.
Holly wiped her hands on the towel again, and set the jar of oil on the bedtable before crawling back up to Gail.
"Hey," she whispered, pleased at how relaxed her partner looked, noting the slackness of her face, the way she moved her body as if through water, "feeling any better?"
Gail was slow in responding, as if her thoughts were wading through molasses, thick and heavy. "Little bit," she whispered through dry lips.
The doctor reached for the bottle of water she'd placed on the bed before they began. "Here, drink some water. And then, if you want, we'll try something else."
She helped Gail roll over onto her back, and sit up against some pillows. The blonde drank almost half the bottle of water before passing it to Holly, who finished it.
"Are you up for phase two," she asked, sitting back on her legs, watching and waiting for Gail to respond. They didn't always try it, not even when the cramps were as bad as this. Sometimes Gail wasn't comfortable with it, and that was okay. It was her choice, and her decision. Always. And if she didn't want to try this, they'd go for another option. A warm bath, maybe. A few select yoga positions, or just laying together in bed, Holly the big spoon, and her warm hands pressed gently over Gail's womb.
But tonight, Gail nodded. Tonight, they would try this first. She didn't need to ask if Gail was sure, because she knew that Gail wouldn't have agreed if she wasn't sure. Just as Gail knew she could change her mind at any time, that Holly would stop the moment Gail asked her to. Theirs was a relationship built upon mutual respect and trust and love.
"Okay," Holly said, "get comfortable. I'm just going to run to the bathroom real quick."
When Holly stepped out of the bathroom, Gail was reclined against some pillows, her head just a slight bit higher than the rest of her body. Her hands rested against her belly, one gently circling over her womb, seeking to relieve some of the discomfort there.
She was feeling a little better, Holly could tell, but still not well enough to be comfortable, to get a good night's sleep.
"You're beautiful," she said to the woman she loved, and it was true. The light from the candles flickered against Gail's pale hair and paler skin, throwing golden shadows across her face, her breasts, her hips. All of Holly's favorite places.
"You're beautiful," Gail said in response, just the hint of her usual swagger in her voice, "even if you're covering up some of your best parts right now." Holly laughed lightly. She'd grabbed her pants on the way to the bathroom and slipped back into them. This was about Gail, not her.
"Mmmhmmm," she said and climbed onto the bed with Gail, "can't have any distractions."
Holly kissed away Gail's response, bringing her hand up to play with the blonde's short locks of hair. She poured everything she felt for the other woman into her kisses, her whole heart. She kissed her delicately, and then fiercely, tender and tempestuous.
And when she'd drank her fill of Gail's mouth, she began to move down her love's body. Tracing her tongue along the lines of the blonde's collarbone, leaving a kiss in the hollow of her throat, licking and nipping gently down her breastbone, and taking care to avoid the tender breasts, the sore nipples there. There were other nights to worship at her lover's perfect breasts, nights when they weren't swollen and pained.
Holly felt Gail tangle her fingers in her hair and scratch gently at her scalp; she smiled against the flat expanse of the blonde's firm abdomen, feeling the muscles tense and relax under her cheek. She lingered over the smattering of moles along Gail's side, the little constellations she'd mapped and charted and named, tracing out the shapes with her tongue, nudging at them with the tip of her nose.
Gail's breaths were heavy, fast and coming faster, and the brunette smiled again. Her aim had been to arouse, to bring Gail's whole body to the edge, the precipice, and then take her further, farther.
She was succeeding.
Holly settled her hands at Gail's hips, squeezed just the slightest to settle the blonde, and then swirled her tongue around the little bump of her bellybutton, the adorable outie Gail had, and felt the hitch of Gail's abs. The adorable outie bellybutton that was quite, quite ticklish, to be specific. Holly played a little longer there, circling her tongue around the bump, then flicking it, then letting her teeth rake over it as Gail squirmed beneath her.
"Hol," her lover said, voice low and throaty, and Holly felt herself get wet at the sound.
But she conceded, and moved on, licking and kissing and nipping, until the strawberry hairs of Gail's bush tickled at her nose. She buried her face in them, inhaling deep at the scent of Gail's skin and sweat. Nowhere, nowhere, felt as safe as this, Gail's trust in her, Gail's faith in her. To let her so close, to be so vulnerable before her. It was as humbling as it was empowering.
Holly brought a hand up to rake through the thick and wiry hair there before carefully holding open the thick outer lips of Gail's sex to expose the delicate anatomy within. The pink clit, peeking out of its hood, the pulsing and vibrant red of her inner lips, swollen and plump with arousal.
"Baby," she whispered, "you're so gorgeous," and heard the soft moan from above as she dragged a finger up and down Gail's hot, wet pussy.
She could smell the heavy, potent scent of blood mixed in with something that was just simply Gail. The combination was overpowering, intoxicating, and it went straight to Holly's head. "Fuck," she shuddered, unable to bite back the word, and buried her nose into Gail's sex, feeling the blonde's hips jump as it brushed against the hard, straining clit hidden there. She nosed lazily there for a moment, teasing at the sensitive nub there, before pulling back just the slightest and taking a deep breath.
"Holly," Gail groaned and struggled to push her body up against the pressure of the arm holding her hips steady.
And Holly gave in.
With her tongue firm but supple, she lay it against the shaft of Gail's clit, and held it there for a moment, letting Gail feel the heat of the muscle, the wet. And then, slowly, slowly, she began to work it gently back and forth, never losing contact with the sensitive flesh beneath as she kept a persistent beat to match the throb of Gail's pulse against her ears.
This wasn't like their usual encounters. Which ranged from the fast and frantic to the fun and laughing to the rough and dirty. And more. So much more.
But this was different. This was sex to soothe, to heal.
Holly changed tempo slightly, turning to long slow licks against Gail's clit, which throbbed and pulsed and twitched under her tongue. With her free hand, she guided Gail's leg over her shoulder, the other following of it's own accord, before moving both hands under Gail's ass, to caress and lift her pale hips just the slightest, a better angle to give her love pleasure.
She kept the pace steady, simple long and firm licks, unrelenting in their regularity, until she felt Gail begin to shudder beneath her.
The scent of the blonde's cum joined the mix as Holly continued her gentle loving. As the aftershocks slowly faded, as Gail's muscles relaxed again, the brunette darted her tongue down to taste the slightest bit of wetness that had gathered around the entrance to Gail's sex. The tang of iron, the salt of cum. It was comfort and love and home. It was love in physical form.
Holly ran her thumbs along the curve of Gail's butt as she brought her mouth back to the blonde's clit, took it between her lips and suckled once, twice, and then let it go, breathing hot air over the tip.
She let the cool air play at the sensitive flesh for a moment before lowering her head again, and taking up her task. This time she flicked the tip of her tongue back and forth over the blonde's clit, alternating sides, and every couple of strokes pausing to kiss and nip at the larger lips of Gail's sex before returning to her clit. Faster and faster she moved until Gail began to thrash beneath her, limbs tensing and moving out of her control. Holly felt the blonde's heels dig into her shoulders, her upper back, searching for purchase as her partner brought her closer and closer to a second orgasm.
And then, with Gail poised right on the edge, Holly slowed her movements, returning to the gentle, deliberate licks that she'd started with. Gail's clit almost jumped under her tongue with every upstroke, and fought against every downstroke, but still, Holly held her love on the precipice.
Until she felt Gail slip off the edge and fall into pleasure a second time, the gentle tumble almost unsatisfactory after the fast, desperate build-up.
Gail took large, gasping breaths, but got no air.
And Holly, this time, didn't wait for her lover's body to settle before beginning again. She began almost treacherously slow, teasing at the tip and then circling the shaft, drawing the hard organ out from it's sheath and suckling hard at it. Every time, faster. Harder. Deeper. Until Gail's breaths were desperate, until her cries were soundless, until her knuckles went white clutching at the sheets.
And then she trailed one hand up from under Gail's ass to slip just inside the extremely sensitive entrance of her sex, while with the other she slipped a thumb between the blonde's ass to press firmly against the strong, tight ring of muscle there.
The sensations–the thumb at her ass, the tip of a finger just inside the ring of muscle at her pussy, and the steady suckle of Holly's lips at her clit–overwhelmed Gail, and her third orgasm tore through her body, a wave, a tsunami of pleasure that threatened to pull her under.
But it didn't.
Gail's breathing slowly calmed as the aftershocks rippled along her nerves, her limbs. And Holly gently worked her down, soothed where she had once sought to seduce.
When she lifted her head finally, Holly was met by a soft smile. The blonde lay there looking exhausted but sated, and Holly knew that any discomfort, any pain, had long been forgotten.
"You've got a little–" Gail started, blusing, and struggled to raise her arm, but Holly knew what she was trying to say. She could feel the slickness on her mouth, her chin, and knew what she must look like.
"I'm going to wash you up," she said quietly, "and then me, and then I'm going to kiss you and we'll get some sleep, okay?"
Gail nodded from her spot at the head of the bed, and Holly turned toward the bathroom.
Her face was covered in Gail's fluids, and she looked a mess, but Holly didn't mind. In fact, she thought it was beautiful. A symbol of their love and their trust in each other, and smiled at her reflection before leaning in to wash warm water and gentle soap over her face and hands.
When she was clean and dry, she wet a washcloth with warm water, and returned to the bedroom.
Gail'd drifted off, which didn't surprise Holly in the least.
She tenderly cleaned the blonde, and then dried her and drew the pajama pants back up over her legs, Gail waking every now and again to mumble something or other. Holly only caught a few words, but they were words of sweetness and love, and she took a moment to capture this memory, this night, in her mind forever.
Her love cleaned up and tucked once again under the warm duvet, Holly blew out the candles and slipped into their bed, scooting right up behind Gail until her bare nipples brushed against the blonde's naked back.
"I love you," she whispered into the hair at Gail's neck, into Gail's shoulder, into the soft curve of Gail's ear. "I love you, Gail Peck, so much that sometimes it feels like I can hardly bear it."
She placed a kiss at the blonde's shoulder, and whispered it again, "I love you," before she, too, closed her eyes.
It was a minute or so later that Gail answered her. A muffled "… love … too." Or something along those lines.
But Holly knew what she meant.
They fell asleep that night, to sweet dreams of love. Of each other. Of the future that lay before them.
One life.
Together.